Pharmacological therapies, such as methadone maintenance therapy, may have both benefits and drawbacks depending on various factors. On the one hand, replacing illicit drugs, such as heroin, with controlled use of the opioid, is associated with decreased cravings and reduction in criminal activity due to the lack of need to get illegal substances (Fareed et al., 2010). At the same time, patients using methadone are known to have fewer family and employment problems (McGovern & Carroll, 2003).
Moreover, such patients may have the ability to participate in the therapy due to the lack of cravings (Fareed et al., 2010). In other words, methadone support early recovery due to being less distracted from the treatment process. However, methadone therapy cannot be used alone – it should be used together with other evidence-based methods.
Replacing one addictive substance with another may have short-term and long-term implications. Among mild issues are general side effects of opioids, including stomach ache, constipation, or sweating. At the same time, patients can develop more severe side effects, such as addiction to methadone. Such an addiction may have similar social, financial, and family implications for the client. Moreover, according to Fareed et al. (2010), there is no certainty among researchers about the effect of methadone on heroin cravings.
Even though the majority of studies confirm that cravings are reduced and the possibility of heroin addiction relapse is lowered, the study has significant limitations stated by Fareed et al. (2010). Therefore, substituting one addictive substance with another is a measure that may be used only in highly controlled environments to prevent patients from facing considerable side effects.
Reference
Fareed, A., Vayalapalli, S., Stout, S., Casarella, J., Drexler, K., & Bailey, S. P. (2010). Effect of methadone maintenance treatment on heroin craving, a literature review. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 30(1), 27–38. Web.
McGovern, M., & Carroll, K. (2003). Evidence-based practices for substance use disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 26(4), 991-1010. Web.